Hydroextractor



Nov. 7, 1944. P. DENYssr-:N Erm.

HYDRoExTRAcTon Filed Feb. 14. 1942 Patented Nov. 7, 1944 HYDROEXTIRACTOR Ivanhoe Peter- Denyssen, Yeadon,` and lRoss M.

Pfalzgraff, Swarthmore, Pa., assignors to American Viscose Corporation, Wilmington, Del., `a

l corporation of Delaware Application February 14, 1942, Serial No. 430,880

Claims.

This invention relates to an improved construction of hydroextractors, particularly of the type employed in removing excess moisture from Wrapped cakes of wound articial silk yarns by centrifugal force, and is particularly concernedv with a novel arrangement for safety and unloading of such hydroextractors.

In the drawing, illustrative ofthe invention,

Figure l shows an elevation of the hydro-extractor with parts thereof incross-section,

Figure 2 shows an end' elevation with parts broken away,

Figure 3 is a side elevation showing an arrangement of a pair of such hydroextractors end to end, and

Figure 4 shows a modified form of' candle Which may be employed for supporting the cakes in such hydroextractors. v f

As shown in Figures 1 vand l3, a commonmotor 2 suitably mounted, `as by ,the braces 3 vwithin a' central housing 4 supported upon a suitable base or pedestal 5 drives a common shaft 6 which extends from each end of the motor into each of 4the respective hydroextractors 1, whose housings.

adjoin that of the motor and may besuitably fastened thereto as by the4 bolts 8. Alternatively two motors may be usedvin the housing 4 in place of a single one. Since the hydroextractors are similar in construction, only one will be described in detail.

The extractor housing 9 is provided at the bottom with a drain l0 and two circumferentially extendingchannels I are secured at each end of the The housingY is provided 'with an opening |3 at each side thereof, each such opening being adapted to be closed by a sliding door |4. Each of the two curved edges of the doors may be provided with roller bearings |'5 which operate within the Y channels II. A pair of lchains |6 attached to the uppermost corners of the doors |4 serve to connect them so 'that opening of one of the doors effects opening ofthe other. be provided with rollers I1 for engaging the circular surface ofthe housing to reduce the fric- `tional resistance to opening and closing the doors.

Each door is provided with a handle |8 to facilitate manipulation. Stopsl |9 may be provided upon the housing to limit movement of the doors.`

A hollow shell rotor 2|) is suitably keyed to the These chains may candles 24. Each candle is supported pivotally as at 25 within the slot of the rib 2| and the other rib is provided with a spring latch 26 adjacent to each slot to retain the candle therein.4 The rotor is further provided with an internal annular gear 21 within its outer end.

The end face of the housing supports a plurality (three being shown) of air-driven pistons 28 fastened by means of the .piston rod 29 to an annular plate or guard 38. This annular ring has an internal diameter somewhat larger than the diameter of a circle circumscribed about the ends of the candles which are arranged generally in a circular formation. VA suitable flanged stop 3| or a plurality of them may be provided Within the interior of the housing to limit the motion of the annular plate 30. Any suitable arrangement of valves or connections may be provided for double-action of the piston, suchas the two air pipes 32 and 33, each being connected toone of the closed ends of the cylinder 34 within which the pistons operates.

The end plate of the housing further supports a` casing 35 which inturn supports a motor 36 and a cylinder 31 within which a piston 38 operates. The pistongis connected by a rod 39 to a shaft 4|] upon which are keyed a gear 4| and a pinion 42, the shaft being supported within suitable bearings Yfor axial motion with respect thereto. The motor drives shaft 40 through the pinion 43. An air connection 44 is provided with the cylinder 31 and the piston 38 operates against the resistance. of the spring 45 coiled about the -housing and have open sides I2 facing each other.

rod 39. f

It is preferable that the shank of the candle 24 be simply `a tube or rod having an unbroken cylindrical surfacel when the machine is arranged with its axis horizontal as shown in Figure 1. However', when vertically arranged,rit is preferable to employ the form of candle shown in Figure 1 which is provided with oppositely disposed grooves 46 at regular intervals therealong. Slotted separator plates 41 may be inserted into the respectice oppositely disposed grooves between adjacent cakes so that the weight of the cakes does not crush those below.

Figure 4 is a View of a modified form of candle (for use in a vertically arranged machine) as it would appear to one looking'up at it as it is disposed in the position of the candle shown in Figure 1. The oppositely disposed grooves 46 in the candle are so arranged as to permit the insertion of cakes of different axial `lengths thereon, the separator plates 41 being in those grooves whose spacings correspond to the length of the cakes.

The separators, as shown in this figure, are placed upon this candle in the grooves corresponding to an extra large size cake. Where a cake having about half this length is to be treated separator plates would be placed upon the candle in the positions shown and also in the grooves corresponding to the grooves halfway between. Where an average sized cake is to be treated, the first separator plate from the left end of the candle would be placed in the second pair of grooves and the other plates moved to correspond to the same spacing. In this figure, the candle is represented as a hollow tube having an end plate 48 fastened thereto. The open end is adapted to t over the pin 49 which is in turn pivoted as by means of 50 within the annular rib 2l, in similar fashion to the pivotal head of the candle shown in Figure 1 where such head forms a part of the candle itself.

In operation of the device, the doors are slid open for loading, and loading may proceed from both sides simultaneously or loading may be performed on one side while unloading at the other. Air is introduced to cause engagement of the pinionl 42 with the internal gear 2l of the rotor 20 and the mot-or 36l drives the rotor at slow speeds throughout loading, thereby averting the neoessity for the loading and unloading operators to stop the rotor and hold it in any position until that section is loaded. Alternatively, the operation of the motor 36 may be intermittent. One of the other operators may switch the motor 36 on between the loading of one or more candles to bring the next candle into kposition behind the doors. In this case, high gear reduction between motor 36 and gear 2l, acts as a brake to hold the rotor steady while loading.

Where the pivotal head forms part of the can- .d-le. as in Figure l. loading is performed by inserting the cakes and separators, swinging the loaded candle into the slotted rib 22 and latching it in place. Where the type of candle shown in Figure 4 is to be used, loading is performed by placing the cakes and separator plates upon the candle and then inserting the whole candle with its hollow end over the pin 49 pivotally supported upon the annular' rib 2| swinging the candle into the corresponding slot of the other rib 22 and latching it in place. After loading, the doors are closed, and air is introduced into cylinders 34 to force the annular plate 30 into the dotted line position of Figure l where it prevents damage resulting fromv the outward swinging of any of the candles in case of failure of or improper functioning of the latches resulting from breakage, release, or improper engagement thereof. The pinion 42 is then released from the internal gear 2.1 by the spring 45 and the motor 36 is stopped. Thereupon the main motor 2 is started to effect operation of the hydroextractor.

While a preferred embodiment is shown in which the hydroextractors are in a horizontal position, that is, they have their axes horizontal, nevertheless the annular -guard plate 30 and the provision for slowly driving the rotor while it is being loaded, may also be applied to the such extractors regardless of the orientation of the rotatory axis. For example, it may also be satisfactorily applied to the extractor when arranged for rotation upon a vertical axis.

'While preferred embodiments of the invention have been disclosed, the description is intended to be illustrative only, and it is to be understood that changes and Variations may be made Without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as dened by the appended claims.

What we claim is:

l. A centrifugal extractor comprising a rotor, a plurality of supports for wound lamentary material to be extracted spaced about said rotor for rotation therewith, a housing surrounding the supports, an annular guard within the housing, and means for selectively placing said guard into operative position about said supports at one end thereof to prevent damage resulting from outward swinging of said supports and into inoper ative position spaced from the supports.

2. A centrifugal` extractor comprising a rotor, a plurality of supports for wound lamentary material to be extracted spaced about said rotor for rotation therewith, said supports being pivoted at one end thereof for swinging motion outward with respect to sa-id rotor, means for detachably securing the other ends of the supports to the rotor, a housing surrounding the supports, an annular guard within the housing, and means for placing said guard into and out of position about said other ends of said supports.

3. A centrifugal extractor comprising a rotor, a plurality of pivoted members spaced about said rotor for rotation therewith, supports for wound lamentary material to be extracted each having one end thereof coupled with the corresponding one of said pivo-ted members, means for detachably securing the other ends of the supports to the rotor, a housing surrounding the supports, an annular yguard within the housing, and means for placing said guard into and out of position about said other ends of said supports.

Ll. A centrifugal extractor comprising a housing,v a rotor therein, holders for wound filamentary material pivotally supported on said rotor at one end thereof, doors in said housing permitting access to load and unload said material, an annular guard within said housing, means for placing saidguard into and out of position about said holders adjacent their nonpivoted ends, means for driving said rotor at high speed for extraction and auxiliary means for driving said rotor at low speed to facilitate loading .and unloading of said material.

5. A centrifugal extractor comprising a housing, a rotor therein disposed on a horizontal axis, holders for wound lamentary material pivotally supported on said rotor at one end thereof, means for driving said rotor at high speed for extraotion, a door in the housing adjacent a portion of the arcuate-periphery subtended by the holders permitting access to load and unload said material, and auxiliary means for driving said rotor at low speed to facilitate loading and unloading of said material.

6. A centrifugal extractor comprising a housing, a rotor therein, holders for wound filamentary materiall pivotally supported on said rotor at one end thereof, means for driving said rotor at high speed for extraction, an annular gear secured to the rotor, a pinion, means for moving the pinion into and out of mesh with the annular gear, and an auxiliary motor for driving the pinion.

'7. A centrifugal extractor comprising a housing, a rotor therein, holders for Wound lamentary material pivotally supported on said rotor at one end thereof, means for driving said rotor at high speed for extraction, an annular gear secured to the rotor, a pinion, means for moving the pinion into and out of mesh with the annular gear, an auxiliary motor and reduction gearing connected thereto for driving the pinion.

8. A centrifugal extractor comprising a housing, a rotor therein, holders for wound lamentary material pivotally supported on said rotor at one end thereof, doors in said housing permitting access to load and unload said material, an annular guard within the housing, means for placing the guard into and out of position about the holders adjacent the non-pivoted ends, means for driving the rotor at high speed for extraction, an annular gear secured to the rotor, a pinion, means for moving the pinion into and out of mesh with the annular gear, an auxiliary motor and reduction gearing connected thereto for driving the pinion.

9. A centrifugal extractor comprising a rotor, a plurality of supports for wound illamentary material to be extracted spaced about said rotor for rotation therewith, means for securing the supports to the rotor for rotation therewith comprising releasable means adjacent a portion of each support, ahousing surrounding the supports, an annular guard within the housing and means for selectively placing said guard into operative position about said supports at one end thereof to prevent damage resulting from outward swinging of saidsupports and into inoperative position spaced "from the supports.

10. A centrifugal extractor comprising a rotor, a plurality of supports for wound ilamentary material to be extracted spaced about said rotor for rotation therewith, means for securing the supports to the rotor for rotation therewith comprising releasable means adjacent one end of each support, a housing surrounding the supports, an annular guard Within the housing and means for selectively placing said guard into voperative position about said supports at one end thereof to prevent damage resulting from outward swinging of said supports and into inoperative position spaced from the supports.

IVANHOE PETER DENYSSEN. ROSS M. PFALZGRAFF. 

